A new report showed a Saskatchewan senator ranked fourth for spending the most money on travel in a three-month period. .The Senate of Canada did the report between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022. .It looked at how much each senator spent on travel expenses like airplane tickets, bus rides, and train trips when they travelled on senate business..“I attended every Senate sitting week in person, unlike the rest of the Senate colleagues from Saskatchewan,” said Conservative Sen. Denise Batters (SK)..“Due to very limited flight availability servicing Regina, I ended up having to book at a higher fare level than usual. Given the frequency of weather and mechanical delay on flights at that time of year (which I did experience on that trip), I needed to ensure I would arrive in Ottawa the night before an important committee meeting.”.Batters is talking about one round-trip ticket to Ottawa costing $4,037.04, which was part of the $31,733.42 used for travel expenses..Other Saskatchewan senators had lower travel expenses compared to Batters. Pamela Wallin spent $18,411.83, Marty Klyne spent $16,545.96, David Arnot spent $10,036.34, and Brent Cotter spent $8,588.68..Marilou McPhedran from Manitoba had the highest travel expenses, surpassing all other senators by almost $20,000. Her travel expenses for three months cost taxpayers $54,059.16..In addition to travel expenses, the senators also have costs associated with their offices, living arrangements, and hospitality expenses while travelling to and from Ottawa..“I take proper stewardship of taxpayers’ dollars very seriously,” said Batters. .“I do my best to book my travel at the most reasonable rate available in the circumstances, including frequently using upgrade certificates and booking travel with airline ticket sales.”.During the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, no senator exceeded $35,000 in travel expenses. .The second highest expense during that time was slightly over $25,000.
